Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. 3082, Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011
Floor Speech
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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule on the continuing resolution.
Mr. Speaker, among other things, I object to the inclusion of Senate language from S. 1510, the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Let me be perfectly clear: I believe our Nation has the safest food supply in the world. What we have here is another expansion of Federal power without benefit of thorough consideration. This is the stimulus package, cap-and-trade, ObamaCare all over again.
Members of the House Agriculture Committee have stood ready and willing to work on this legislation. Despite this, the present majority leadership tried to pass this under suspension of the rules and lost. Failing to learn the lesson of that vote, they then secured a closed rule and essentially rammed it through the House.
Now, in the closing days of this Congress, the Senate has sent us their version on a take-it-or-leave-it basis and included revenue provisions that, under the Constitution, must originate in the House. Faced with this dilemma, once again the present House leadership has chosen to short-circuit the legislative process by sticking this legislation on the continuing resolution.
This is the sort of nonsense that Americans rejected just a few weeks ago. Why isn't the present majority leadership listening?
Now, for sure, we may have differences. However, I am confident that an open and deliberative process would allow us to resolve these differences. Unfortunately, the present leadership has chosen a path that denies the minority the opportunity to participate. I am certain this is not how they would like to be treated.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who follows the current events knows that our food production system faces ongoing food safety challenges. I just want to serve notice that I stand ready to work with my colleagues to address those challenges. I must ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule so that we can address those issues in regular order.
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